Maya Yoshida is a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Sampdoria and captains the Japan national team. His playing position is Center back. He began playing football at Nanling FC in his second year at elementary school. Since then, he has played for Nagoya Grampus (2007-2010), VVV-Venlo (2010-2012), Southampton (2012-2020), and Sampdoria (2020-2022). He has represented his national side, Japan both at the youth and senior levels. He was a part of the Japan U-23 squad (2008-12). He is a team member of the Japan national team since 2010 and has been capped 28 times with ten international goals. His shirt number is #22 for his current team and national team.
What is Maya Yoshida Famous For?
- Being a Japanese Footballer.
- Playing as a center back for the club, Sampdoria.
What is Maya Yoshida Nationality?
Maya Yoshida was born on 24th August 1988. He is from Nagasaki, Japan. He is Japanese by nationality and belongs to the Japanese-Asian ethnicity. About his father, his mother’s name is Akiko Yoshida whereas his father’s name is still to get disclosed yet. His present age is 33 at present. Virgo is his Zodiac sign. He has two brothers: Mirei and Honami. He credited his older brother, Honami, for playing an important role in his football career. Before he was born, his name “Maya” was originally planned for a girl when his mother was pregnant. But the name was kept even if it was a boy who was born. His family runs a boarding house in Nagasaki for children who cannot go to high school. In November 2007, he signed for an agency with Tetsuro Kiyooka, a FIFA Players’ Agent (Sports agent), in hopes of moving to Europe. It worked when he joined VVV-Venlo, three years later after signing for Tetsuro Kiyooka. Regarding his education, he attended Toyota High School.
Maya Yoshida Career Timeline
Nagoya Grampus
- Yoshida began playing football at Nanling FC in his second year at elementary school.
- Next, he joined the U-15 side.
- Later, he relocated to Nagoya to be close to Nagoya Grampus and attended Toyota High School.
- Spending five years at Nagoya Grampus Youth Academy, he was promoted to the first team in the 2007 season signing his very first professional contract.
- He made his debut for the club, coming on as a second-half substitute, in a 2–1 loss against Oita Trinita on 3 May 2007.
- He scored his first Nagoya Grampus goal, in a 3–1 win against Thespa Kusatsu on 5th November 2007 and his second goal then came on 2 November 2008 against FC Gifu in the fourth round of the Emperor’s Cup and helped them win 1–0.
- During his 2009 season, he scored Nagoya Grampus’s historical first goal in the AFC Champions League in the game against Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i on 10 March 2009.
- At the end of the 2009 season, Yoshida went on to make forty–eight appearances and scored eight times in all competitions.
VVV-Venlo
- In December 2009, it was announced that Yoshida had transferred to Dutch club VVV-Venlo, signing a three–year contract.
- He made his VVV-Venlo debut, coming on as a 75th-minute substitute, and set up the club’s third goal of the game, in a 5–3 loss against FC Groningen.
- At the end of the 2010–11 season, Yoshida went on to make twenty–four appearances in all competitions. At the end of the 2011–12 season, he went on to make thirty–seven appearances and scored five times in all competitions as a central defender. In the 2012–13 season, he made two appearances for the side.
Southampton
- On 30th August 2012, he signed a three-year contract for a reported transfer fee of £3 million.
- On 15th September 2012, he made his Southampton debut in a 6-1 defeat against Arsenal.
- In his first season at Southampton, he went on to make thirty–four appearances in all competitions.
- At the end of the 2014–15 season, he went on to make twenty–three appearances and scored once in all competitions. At the end of the 2015–16 season, he went on to make twenty–seven appearances and scored two times in all competitions. At the end of the 2016–17 season, which saw the club finish in seventh place, he went on to make thirty–seven appearances and scored two times in all competitions.
- By the end of 2017, he captained six out of the eight matches for the side.
- At the end of the 2017–18 season, he went on to make twenty–eight appearances and scored two times in all competitions.
- On 30th June 2020, he confirmed his departure from the club after 8 years.
Sampdoria
- He joined Serie A side Sampdoria on loan until the end of the season on 31st January 2020.
- He made his Sampdoria debut against Hellas Verona on 8 March 2020 and played the whole game, as the club won 2–1.
- By the end of the 2019–20 season, he made fourteen appearances in all competitions.
- On 19th January 2021, he signed a two–year contract with the club, keeping him until 2022.
- He scored his first goal for the Blucerchiati on 24 January 2021 against Parma.
- Throughout the 2020–21 season, he made thirty–four appearances and scored once in all competitions.
Maya Yoshida International Career
- In April 2008, Yoshida received a call-up for Japan U-23 national team and was a part of the Japan squad for the 2008 Summer Olympic finals.
- On 6th January 2010, Yoshida made his international debut for his native country against Yemen in a 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualifier. Subsequently, he played in all three of the group-stage matches, the quarter-final and final for the winning Japan side in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup.
- Four years later, Yoshida was called up to the Japan U-23 team for the second time ahead of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He was named captain by Manager Takashi Sekizuka.
- He also represented his national side in all of the group stage games at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2015 AFC Asian Cup.
- He was included in Japan’s 23-man team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
- At the beginning of 2021, Yoshida continued to retain his captaincy and helped the Samurai Blue keep another three consecutive clean sheets against South Korea, Mongolia, and Myanmar.
- In June 2021, he was named to the squad for his third Olympic tournament. It was also announced that he would be the captain of the tournament.
Awards, Achievements, and Honors
Southampton
- EFL Cup runner-up: 2016–17
Japan
- AFC Asian Cup: 2011; runner-up: 2019
Individual
- AFC Asian Cup Team of the Tournament: 2019
- IFFHS AFC Man Team of the Year: 2020
- IFFHS AFC Men’s Team of the Decade 2011–2020
How much is Maya Yoshida Net Worth?
Maya Yoshida is a renowned footballer who has made a huge amount of money from his profession. As of 2022, the net worth of Maya Yoshida is estimated to have around $15 Million. He earns a salary of £24,000 per week, and £1,248,000 per year playing for U.C. Sampdoria whereas his annual salary was £1,352,000 in 2021, £2,548,000 in 2020, £2,548,000 in 2019, £2,548,000 in 2018, £1,404,000 in 2017, £1,404,000 in 2016, £1,404,000 in 2015 and £1,248,000 in 2014. His main source of wealth comes from his football career and he is living a cool lifestyle at present. He is enjoying his present life a lot. Besides his football career, he also earns a good sum through his endorsement deal with Japanese sports equipment, as well as sportswear, Mizuno. He is appointed as a brand ambassador of Land Rover Cars in July 2018 and he owns three Range Rover Cars.
Who is Maya Yoshida Wife?
Maya Yoshida is a married man as well as he is a father to his daughter. Details regarding his wife’s name and their married date are still to get disclosed yet. He is a very secretive man towards it. He is enjoying his present life happily. It was in May 2017, he shared a picture of his baby captioning “Once more, you and mum deserve this prize as well. Because of you two, I can fight. Now all my focus is on Sunday! Come on #saints”. In 2018, in an interview, he said “Five years is a long time. I think I have become much better as a player, as a man, as a husband, as a dad.” His sexual orientation is straight and he is not gay.
How tall is Maya Yoshida?
Maya Yoshida is a cool-looking man with a charming personality. He stands at the perfect height of 1.89 m and his athletic body weight consists of 78 KG. He is a right-footed player. He maintains his body a lot by doing frequent exercise.
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